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Title details for What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins - Available

What Comes After

A Novel

by JoAnne Tompkins
Mark Deakins
Audiobook
4 of 5 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
4 of 5 copies available
Runner Up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Finalist for the Washington State Book Award
Edgar Prize Finalist for Best Debut Novel by an American Author
Shortlisted for the Prix Libre Nous, Best Foreign Book in French Translation
New York Times, Group Text Pick for April 2021
New York Times Editor's Choice Pick
Named a top beach read of summer by Oprah Daily, Good Housekeeping, The Wall Street Journal, and more
“Nail-biting wallop of a debut . . . a thoughtful, unexpectedly optimistic tale.” —The New York Times
“If you enjoyed The Searcher by Tana French, read What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins. . . . a mystery—and a gritty meditation on loss and redemption, drenched in stillness and grief.” —The Washington Post
After the shocking death of two teenage boys tears apart a community in the Pacific Northwest, a mysterious pregnant girl emerges out of the woods and into the lives of those same boys’ families—a moving and hopeful novel about forgiveness and human connection.
In misty, coastal Washington State, Isaac lives alone with his dog, grieving the recent death of his teenage son, Daniel. Next door, Lorrie, a working single mother, struggles with a heinous act committed by her own teenage son. Separated by only a silvery stretch of trees, the two parents are emotionally stranded, isolated by their great losses—until an unfamiliar sixteen-year-old girl shows up, bridges the gap, and changes everything.
Evangeline’s arrival at first feels like a blessing, but she is also clearly hiding something. When Isaac, who has retreated into his Quaker faith, isn’t equipped to handle her alone, Lorrie forges her own relationship with the girl. Soon all three characters are forced to examine what really happened in their overlapping pasts, and what it all possibly means for a shared future.
With a propulsive mystery at its core, What Comes After offers an unforgettable story of loss and anger, but also of kindness and hope, courage and forgiveness. It is a deeply moving account of strangers and friends not only helping each other forward after tragedy but inspiring a new kind of family.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 13, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593394694
      • File size: 374819 KB
      • Duration: 13:00:52

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This audiobook, which examines grief, faith, and family, is told from the perspectives of three characters: Isaac, a teacher whose son was murdered; Evangeline, a pregnant teenager who has been abandoned by her mother; and Jonah, a teenager who killed his friend. Narrator Mark Deakins masterfully conveys Isaac's emotional turmoil as he struggles to understand both the murder and his feeling of distance from God, despite his devotion to Quaker practices. Narrator Kristen DiMercurio captures Evangeline's insecurities and fears, which color her reactions to Isaac's generous acts of kindness. Narrator Kirby Heyborne helps listeners feel Jonah's angst, defeatism, and sorrow as he contemplates suicide, which he sees as the only solution to his action. All three performances underscore the characters' conflicted relationships with those who are supposed to love them and their tentative steps toward redemption. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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